[Between his comment and the question that follows it, Tifa had grabbed her food up again and is in the middle of scooping up another spoonful of the curry when she stops, the curry halfway to her mouth. She really shouldn't be surprised about being asked this, but no one ever has—people just assumed things without so much as a sideways look or a smirk here and there, Jessie especially, but never openly asking.

Not that there's much of an answer anyway.]

Huh? The deal? Nothing, really... [Except she's blushing and hiding her face behind her hair while she looks anywhere but at Ren.] Cloud and I have been friends for a long time, since we were kids. Grew up together in Nibelheim. He left to join SOLDIER seven years ago, haven't seen him since.